lather rinse repeat

My life is full of routines. Monday to Friday has me going through a similar set of actions everyday without a lot of variety. My alarm goes off at the same time every morning. I shower, get dressed and dry my hair, drink my smoothie as I run around gathering things for my day and head out of the house at the same time every morning. I take the same bus and the same train to work, arriving at approximately the same time every day where I hang up my jacket, fill my water bottle and turn on my radio before settling in for a day’s work. The end of the day sees me working in reverse, packing up and leaving at the same time as the day before, arriving home to get changed for the gym, exercising and coming home to make dinner.
I definitely consider myself a creature of habit so having a daily routine is not necessarily something to complain about. As much as I welcome change and like to switch things up every once and a while, my routine is comfortable. I’m so used to doing the same everyday tasks that they become habits. I don’t have to think much about it, it all comes so naturally, making it easy to stay organized, keep in shape and get the little things done efficiently.

Sure, there are some days that I wake up and hate that I’m off to work just like every other day that week. There are some days that I crave a change in my life, something to make every day a little different from the last (I guess that’s why I love my nights and weekends so much!) but, for the most part, my routines just work for me. Which, let's be honest, is probably a good thing considering I don’t think they’re going anywhere for a while. And okay, I’ll admit it…I’ve become a little superstitious about the order in which I operate. However, maybe it’s time I break out of the box a little bit…maybe I’ll eat my breakfast tomorrow before hopping into the shower…

Do you have a routine? Do you crave change?

daily dinner dilemma

There’s a simple question that my husband and I ask ourselves every day and yet we almost always have trouble answering. The simple question of ‘what’s for dinner?’ seems to stump us on a very regular basis, getting more “I don’t know” answers than a 4 year-old being questioned by his parents. Once 4 o’clock rolls around, we seem to have the same discussion every day, trying to figure out what it is we feel like eating, and shaking our heads at ourselves that, yet again, we have forgotten to take anything out for dinner. It should be simple, considering we have to eat dinner every day, but having to decide the night before or the morning of what we might feel like eating that night seems to be harder than it sounds.
Along with many other things, planning ahead what I want for dinner is a habit I should have inherited from my mother. Her reminders to take chicken out of the freezer before leaving home for the day is not something I seem to remember to do in my own adult life. A simple task that I probably thought she was weird for doing is now something that I wish I could remember to do. I’m hoping that it’s one of those things that come with being a mom so that when I have children, they won’t come home from school to find me staring aimlessly into the fridge hoping the food will tell me what to do. There are certain responsibilities that come with growing up and while some I’ve mastered, there are others that I’m still working on. For example, I may have inherited the need for clean countertops and a spotless bathroom but I still have trouble seeing the dust that my mom always seemed to spot. I know when she would ask “am I the only one that sees the dust in the house?”, the answer “yes, Mom” was not what she was looking for! And so with that in mind, I figure there’s still hope for my husband and I. One day, we will wake up, get ready for work and remember to defrost the steaks. We will wake up the next day knowing we want a stirfry and we’ll have already bought everything we need. And hopefully the day after that, it will become a habit and our daily dilemma won’t be so hard to solve. Until then, trips to the grocery store will probably continue to be a part of our daily routine. (Umm, honey?…what’s for dinner?...)

Do you plan your meals ahead of time? What ‘grown up’ things are you still working on?

keep fit and have fun

There’s always something so tough about trying to get back into shape. While I haven’t let it go too long, I’m currently challenging myself to get back into the gym on a regular basis and make working out a part of my regular week day routine again. So when I came across the 20 Biggest Health Excuses That Hold You Back this morning, it was like someone read my mind. Reading the reasons why I, along with many others, seem to put so many other things ahead of our health makes me realize how easy it should be to include exercise everyday. And when the outcome is feeling good (and hopefully looking good, too!) it really should be a no brainer when it comes to being fit.
Staying fit throughout the summer was hard enough...with eating out and weekends away, my outdoor activities had to heavily make up for my unhealthy habits. But taking a break from the ever important routine of getting my butt in gear to get to the gym has only made it harder to get into the groove again. Granted, after running a half marathon, I felt entitled to a few days off. It’s too bad those few days off turned into a few weeks off and after those few weeks off…well…exercising a few days a week is a mental battle harder than lifting some of those heavy weights. But I find that now is the best time to do it. Summer has ended, the days are getting shorter and my schedule has seemed to slow down. All perfect reasons for getting back to the daily grind of burning fat and building muscle. Yes, it’s a shame that when I don’t need the beach body cause I’m covered up by cute coats and warms sweaters, I’ve got the time to work on it. But I know working out now will only benefit me in the long run…like when I want that second helping of shortbread at the company Christmas party or some ice cream on my apple pie. So winning the fight against lazy days is a game I’ve got to become good at. Not only for the guilt-free holiday treat eating but also so I can feel good about myself. I know how awesome I feel when I get a good sweat going and how satisfying it feels to discover new muscles. These are the feelings that I have to keep in mind as I make my way home tonight. I have to ignore the couch who calls my name so loud and instead remind myself of all the reasons that going to the gym is a good choice to make. Because if looking good isn’t enough motivation, feeling good will get me going even more!

What motivates you to exercise? Do you have a regular routine?